The Dynasty Maker Vs. The Dynasty That Never Was

Back in 2011, the Green Bay Packers were the National Football League’s next big thing.

Green Bay had just won the 45^th Super Bowl. The Packers began the 2011 campaign with 13 straight wins. And with a young, gifted roster, it appeared Green Bay would become the NFL’s next dynasty.

Of course, that never happened.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has inexplicably gone from regular season star to playoff flop on an annual basis. Defense, special teams and coaching have been problem areas in January.

And year after year, the Packers have disappointed in the postseason.

Today, 11 years, seven months and 15 days after Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLVXLV
, the Packers are still looking for their next championship.

Clearly, they are the dynasty that never was.

Instead, Tom Brady stepped in and ruled the past decade — something most thought Green Bay was perfectly positioned to do.

Brady led New England to three Super Bowl titles between 2001-04, then had a 10-year drought. But Brady and the Patriots won Super Bowls in 2014, 2016 and 2018, then the greatest quarterback in NFL history switched sides and led Tampa Bay to a title in 2020.

Today, Brady owns seven rings. Rodgers has one.

Those two meet Sunday in an early NFC showdown. It’s also a game that will remind Packer Nation of what could have been.

“He’s obviously done it at the highest of levels for so long,” Rodgers said of Brady before Green Bay and Tampa Bay met in the 2020 campaign. “He’s been an icon at the position.

“He’s been somebody that we’ve all looked up to for so many years as the standard of excellence. I think there’s a ton of admiration and respect for the way that he’s played the game from so many of us, especially us guys who’ve been in the same era for so many years with him.”

Rodgers has actually won more MVP’s than Brady (four vs. three). But that’s not why most people play the game.

They play it for Super Bowl titles.

And slightly more than a decade ago, it certainly appeared Green Bay was positioned to hoist several Lombardi trophies during the Rodgers-era.

On Feb. 6, 2011, the Packers defeated Pittsburgh, 31-25, in the 45^th Super Bowl and many believed several more championships would soon follow in Titletown.

Rodgers was just 27 years old. The rest of the roster featured young, budding stars like Clay Matthews, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Nick Collins and B.J. Raji. And coach Mike McCarthy and his staff seemed ahead of the curve.

While the Packers have remained one of the NFL’s elite franchises, they’ve failed at the most critical moments.

Green Bay began the 2011 season 13-0 and went 15-1 in the regular season. Then the Packers lost their first playoff game to the New York Giants, 37-20, when Eli Manning thoroughly outplayed Rodgers and the defense wilted.

“No one’s going to remember the 15-1,” Raji said after that loss. “Now, all they’re going to talk about is the great letdown at home, in front of your home fans that love you and support you.”

In 2014, Green Bay led Seattle, 16-0, at halftime of the NFC Championship game and had a 99.9% chance of winning when it held a 19-7 lead with 3:07 remaining. Those Packers, of course, made a comedy of errors down the stretch — including a botched onside kick — and fell to the Seahawks in overtime.

“I’d rather not even make the playoffs,” Packers left guard Josh Sitton said after that loss. “I’d rather have gotten blown out and known in the first quarter it was over.”

The Packers went back to the NFC Championship Game in 2016, went scoreless in the first half, and were routed by Atlanta, 44-21.

Matt LaFleur became Green Bay’s coach in 2019, and has been a regular season dynamo, going 39-10 in the regular season his first three years on the job. The playoffs, though, have only led to additional heartbreak.

Green Bay reached the NFC Championship Game in 2019. Much like 2016, though, the Packers were blanked in the first half and were crushed by San Francisco, 37-20.

Green Bay earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed in both 2020 and 2021, then lost home playoff games and wasted golden opportunities to reach the Super Bowl each season.

In 2020, Brady and the Buccaneers came to Lambeau Field for the NFC Championship Game and toppled the Packers, 31-26.

Late in the game, Rodgers had a chance to run for a touchdown that could have pulled Green Bay within 31-29. Instead, he threw a third down incompletion into double coverage for Davante Adams and LaFleur opted to kick a field goal. The Packers never got the ball back.

“I’m just pretty gutted,” Rodgers said that night.

Last season, the Packers’ offense and special teams were inept, and they fell to San Francisco, 13-10, in the divisional playoffs.

“Everybody’s pretty emotional. Nobody expected this,” Packers nose tackle Kenny Clark said after that loss. “Nobody had plans on us losing. This was mind-blowing to all of us. We didn’t see this coming.”

Sadly for Packer Nation, this has become commonplace since that Super Bowl win 11 ½ years ago.

Rodgers, who won four of his first five playoff games, is just 7-9 in the postseason since.

Brady, on the other hand, has a remarkable postseason record of 35-12. That’s more than double the win total of Joe Montana (16), who ranks second in league history in playoff victories.

In fact, the only NFL franchises with more playoff wins than Brady himself are New England (37), Green Bay (36) and Pittsburgh (36). San Francisco and Dallas have both matched Brady with 35.

“Tommy’s had an amazing career,” Rodgers said of Brady before the two met in the 2020 NFC Championship Game. “His legacy is one of so many wins and so many accomplishments. I’ve been a fan of his for a long time and enjoyed the few times we’ve gotten to play.”

Sunday will be another one of those rare times when two future Hall of Famers square off.

Unfortunately for Packer Nation, Brady capitalized on his chance to build a dynasty. In Green Bay, Rodgers and the Packers have been left to wonder, ‘What if?’